On October 25, the martyrs Probus, Tarachus, and Andronicus are remembered; their lives were cut short in 304 AD during the persecution of Christians. The saints refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, and even under torture, they could not be made to renounce their faith. The unyielding Christians were torn apart by their tormentors.
On this day, it was customary to observe the stars. The stars could predict much: how bountiful the next year would be, what the weather would be like in the near future.
Bright stars indicated impending frosts, while dim ones foretold cooling. The number of stars pointed to the amount of peas that would be harvested in the summer. A falling star predicted windy weather.
For our ancestors, the stars were associated with a window in the heavenly tower through which the guardian angel watches over a person. The angel in heaven records in the heavenly book every deed: both good and bad. People believed that not only deeds were noted in the heavenly office, but also thoughts. When a person died, the window would close its shutters, and accordingly, the star would fall or extinguish.
Comets were called "tailed stars" by the people. Typically, the appearance of such a star foretold some tragedy, such as famine, epidemic, or war.
People believed that on this day, Andronicus sweeps the stars in the sky. To prevent him from sweeping away their star, so that it would not extinguish, a special ritual was performed — "warming" the star. At midnight, a person would go out into the field and recite a spell, accompanied by certain actions.
Weather Signs
Thunder on this day means winter will be short, and there will be little snow. The direction of the wind indicated the weather for the coming days: north meant cold, south meant warmth. Circles from the Moon in the sky meant the summer would be dry. A red Moon indicated windy weather.
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